Car brand Smart has called in PrettyGreen as it looks to 're-energise' its image.

PrettyGreen will work on a number of consumer-facing areas, including Smart’s London launch of its Car2Go concept.

The service, which is already available in other countries, enables drivers to hire Smart cars with the swipe of a card.

Rob Halloway, comms director at Mercedes-Benz UK, which is owned by Daimler and oversees Smart in the UK, said Car2Go is part of a ‘fundamental shift’ in how the brand is perceived.

He added: ‘For the past few years we’ve had tried and tested cars but in 2013 different elements to the Smart brand will be coming through. The Car2Go service is part of a focus on car using rather than car owning. It’s also part of a wider effort to re-energise the brand.’

The appointment comes as Smart launches a wider marketing initiative amid a levelling of sales in recent years.

As part of the wider brief, PrettyGreen will also focus on comms around ‘the electrification’ of Smart, with a range of electric cars and bikes to be launched next year.

The agency will replace Fever, though Halloway said that work in this area had been done in-house over the past year. In addition, Mercedes Benz UK has called in Words and Pictures to provide support and internal comms.

The agency will replace Headlines in the role, which involves working with the in-house team. Words and Pictures’ retained brief will cover the company’s 4,000 UK staff.

The appointment follows a major grouping of the three Mercedes Benz UK businesses under one roof in Milton Keynes.